The long term outcome of psychiatric morbidity detected in general medical patients

Hawton K., 1981: The long term outcome of psychiatric morbidity detected in general medical patients. Journal of Psychosomatic Research 25(3): 237-244

Psychiatric disorder detected in general medical patients was found in many cases to persist during an 18 mo. follow-up period. This was more likely in patients with a history of psychiatric referral in the past. Although physicians referred to psychiatrists the majority of their patients likely to develop persistent psychiatric disorder, they failed to refer several such patients. The presence of psychiatric disorder during hospital admission, as well as older age, was associated with an increased subsequent mortality rate. Clearly psychiatric disorder detected in general hospital patients has important implications. Further research is required to identify clinically important sub-groups of such patients, to evaluate the provision of psychiatric intervention for them and to elucidate the nature of the association between psychiatric disturbance and increased risk of dying.